How to Budget Meal Planning with Teens: This week has been fun another 3 day weekend. The Kids are home for MLK day, I stitched up some hats for my daughter service project at school here are the instruction one seam fleece hat on my old blog. With the weekend off I am busy feeding my big teenage all weekend. He is swimming everyday.
Check out my Madeline Pans purchased from a thrift store. I love them they are so pretty. Here is recipe I used to make the Madeleine Cookies. I would like to say I had more to take a photo but they have a short 24 shelf life, the family gobbled them up. I love finding great cooking and baking item at a thrift store or good will it saves you money and the older ones are seasons. Let someone else pay retail. It allows me to try out new ideas in cooking and baking with out the investment.
What to feed my family and stay on a budget ? Because of the colder weather I love soups and my family is a big soup eaters. The key is a great filling starch soup like potato or split pea. Add a loaf of bread and it is a fantastic meal
How to Budget Meal Planning with Teens:
Monday: Homemade spring rolls $ 9 and steamed dumplings $6 clear broth seaweed soup
Tuesday: Split Pea Soup $6 (ham bone in fridge) and Homemade bread $2
Wednesday: Swimteam Pizza Fundraiser $18
Thursday: Pork chops $5, Rice $2 and Black Beans $1
Friday: London Broil $7, Roasted Potatoes $2, and Roasted Cauliflower $3
This post is sponsored by Everywhere Agency; however, all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own
You might recall that I have been to some great Macys Culinary Council Events over the past few months. There is a new event coming up this next Thursday and you can come! Macy’s Culinary Council Ming Tsai and Todd English are hosting cooking demo and cookbook signing. I adore these James Beard Award chefs. Every Saturday I watch Mings Kitchen on PBS, he is really refreshing with his goal is to “Make People Happy with food.” I also love Todd English’s approach to food, he looks at food as a total experience bringing exception food that please your palette. I am really looking forward to learning from both these masters.
The one thing about the Macys events, I know always walk away with great “take-aways” from the Macys Culinary Council Chefs. You too can come and learn this Thursday! At the Macy’s City Center (location the old Wanmakers Building next to city hall) I love these event because not only is it a small crowd but they are super fun with music and food, so come with a friend. Macys provides cocktails and samples of all the food Chefs Ming Tsai and Todd English prepare in the cooking demo. I hope you come and join me.
Macy’s Philly hosting Ming Tsai and Todd English cooking demo
• Macy’s Center City
• Culinary Council Chef Todd English and Chef Ming Tsai
• Philadelphia, PA
• Thursday, January 14th – 5:30pm
• Make sure you RSVP through this EventBrite link to reserve your seat for the event Click Here http://macyscookingdemophilly.eventbrite.com
• Tickets to the event are FREE
Plus, with any purchase* of $35 or more in the Home Department, receive a $10 gift card, a special gift, and a chance to take a photo with the chefs.**
Read more here for all the extra details!
Todd English is a renowned chef and restaurateur, author, and Emmy-nominated television star based in Boston, MA and New York City. He is a four-time James Beard Award winner and inductee into the James Beard Foundation’s “Who’s Who in Food and Beverage in America.” Todd has authored four critically acclaimed cookbooks, with his most recent, Cooking In Everyday English released in October 2011. I hope they serve this Todd English cocktail recipe is this Peach Frizzante Martini
Ming Tsai is the James Beard Award-winning chef/owner of two restaurants – Blue Ginger and Blue Dragon. Also an Emmy Award-winner, Ming hosts PBS-TV’s Simply Ming, now in its eleventh season. Ming is the author of five cookbooks, including his latest Simply Ming In Your Kitchen. I am really hopping that they serve Ming Tsai Handmade Dumpling with shrimp and bean filling because I really want to watch him make them.
I truly enjoy the intimate feeling of these events. Hope to see there on Thursday and make sure you say hello!
Macy’s Philly hosting Ming Tsai and Todd English cooking demo
Welcome New Year. May people pick a work that embodies the object for the year, My friend Hillary Chybinski always tells me about her word for the year. So this year I decided to pick a word. Since this is my 1st time having an objective or theme word. I decided to pick something I need to work on.
So..
My goal or word for the New Year is to “Finish”. I am great at starting things but loose interest .. it might be the kids lack of interest or myself diagnosed Adult Attention Deficit. I am going back and finishing old sew projects or finish all those blog post I hope to bring to you.
This past weekend I worked on several old projects. I finished some pj bottoms that have been sitting next to my sewing machine for my daughter. I also worked on a quilt I started in 2003, I really don’t love the pattern but I am determined to finish because I already have so much time invested.
This week I hope to finish a few more projects. I will be sure to share them with you as I go.
So are you doing a Resolution or Word of the year?
Meal Planning
I am back to meal planning after a month of no planning, I get very use to meal planning when I am not planning my family does not run as smooth, I get a lot of what are we eating and I never have the right food in the house. I am going to try to planning out a little more at one time trying to schedule out 2 weeks and plan better.
Monday : Pulled Pork with homemade potato wedges
Tuesday : Chicken Thighs with rice and black beans
If you follow my blog you probably I really enjoy exposing my kids to the arts. This December was no different, The Arden open a new play Han Brinker and the Silver skates and they invited us to preview it because my daughter was part of the drama school. The Play is Hans Brinker and the Silver Skates the script has been in the works at the Arden for 2 years, It was well worth the wait.
I took my daughter and her friends to experience the play. The play is a lovely story age appropriate for 5 and up. There is a little music and the actors are moving the entire play.
The story is of a family Hans, His Sister Gretel, and parents have fallen on hard times. The people of their town dismiss them because of poverty except for one kind girl who looks past the poverty and treats them with Humanity. It is the story of hardships, kindness, and how people can learn from each other presented in a lovely way that is appropriate for the plays young patrons.
The Stage is set up as a frozen river and is wonderful the actor with the felt pad shoes actually skate on the stage it is lovely to watch. They make it look so realistic you think you are outside. The choreography and the use of the stage is amazing, makes for a fast moving play that the kids and adults.
The Arden does a wonderful job with educating kids. After the play the actors sit down on the stage and answer questions
I think this plays is great for the winter not only is a winter time play but the message is wonderful. As an adult I was touched and felt tears coming at certain parts of the play. The actors are truly magical.
I would recommend taking the kids to a Matinee show. We went to The Continental for lunch after (tip they offer 10% with The Arden ticket stubs). It is a little pricier for kids about (10-$20 for a meal) no kids menu. I go because of my favorite appetizer The Onion Soup Bites (my copycat recipe is here). Which if you had them you will understand the splurge for the kids.
After lunch we walked up to and walked through City Hall. I did not know they have a amazing tree in the middle of city hall. All the girls remarked the center of city hall looked like Hogwartz. Next to City hall is Dilworth Park for Made In Philly market which will be there for the Holidays featuring many local Artisans. I loved the frosted cookies yummy. They also had soap makers, wonderful handmade clothes, and jewelry, that was all locally made in Philly. Dilworth Park also has an Ice skating rink.
Diagonal from city hall is Love Park where the Christmas Village is set up featuring great vendors from around the world. The girls loved shopping. It was a little tight in some sections of the market I would not recommend the Village for strollers. They did have a mulled wine you could purchase a commemorative cup for $8 and do refills for $6. It smelled good. They also had many different food.
Before heading back to the car we check out the Macys windows, If the girls were not complete tired I would have stayed for the organ and light show. The organ plays twice a day, the light show is every hour call the store to double check times.
This easy sausage pasta soup is hearty and tasty. I created this recipe for a Ragu contest but then missed the cut off to enter it this year. So I want to share it with you. Starts with basic soup but you can always add any veggies to this soup. Sure to satisfy your entire family.
Easy Sausage Pasta Soup
24 oz Jar Tomato Pasta Sauce Ragu
1.5 pounds of spicy sausage
3 medium carrots peeled diced
1 medium onion diced
2 celery stalks
3 14 oz can chicken broth
24 oz of water
8 oz dried Ditalini pasta
1 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 bay leaves
1 cup of arugula
8oz of goat cheese
In a large pot brown sausage, removing casing, and drain grease place on paper towel to remove excess grease set off to side
In same pot add onion carrots and celery brown till carrots are tender
Add to pot jar of Ragu Sauce, 3 cans chicken broth, 24 oz of water (use the Ragu jar rinse out any left over Ragu)
Add back into pot drained sausage
Add Spices (thyme, salt,oregano, pepper, bay leaves) to soup
Today is Giving Tuesday. A day to giving back to others. This past weekend my family and I volunteered at a local organization that provides services free of charge to a Philadelphia Neighborhood. We served a meal and helped clean up. It is really important to me that my children learn the important that my children understand that there is others who have less than we do. That everybody needs a little help. This weekend we met all different types of people from youth, adults to elderly. Everybody can have a discussion on their favorite food and what is the favorite side for thanksgiving or what pie they like best. It was a fun day connecting with people. My kid asked if we could do it again soon she had a great time.
You can too can Give Back today – Other simple ways is to give with your wallet: Donate to great causes, volunteering, or purchasing items from company’s that give back. Here are some ways to do so Gifts that Give to others
At Face to Face struggling families, individuals and the homeless are welcomed and treated with dignity and respect. Our goal is to meet basic human needs and reduce suffering; thereby assisting our guests to a better future.
Face to Face offers a Dining Room, a nurse managed Health Center, a Legal Center, a Social Services Center and Children’s Summer Camps and After School programs. We also have a Washeteria where people can take a hot shower and receive a new set of clothes. Face to Face serves 2,500 annually and has been a stable presence in Germantown for over 20 years. Learn more Here
The goal of PHS and the Plant One Million campaign is to restore the tree canopy cover of the Greater Philadelphia region. Your gift to PHS helps to expand tree planting initiatives along neighborhood streets, beside rivers and streams, and in urban green spaces, improving the environmental health and beauty of our communities. To celebrate #GivingTuesday, Bartlett Tree Experts has generously offered a $5,000 matching grant to encourage friends like you to help PHS plant trees throughout the region. Your generous gift will make 2x the difference! Make Your Donation TodayLearn more about #Giving Tuesday and how trees help
SaveTheChildren Gifts of Joy holiday catalog is the talk of the town. From the gift of education for a girl to the ever-popular combo of two chicks and a goat, you can find info on our most popular items With our partner Johnson & Johnson generously matching each gift from our catalog dollar for dollar (up to $300K), this is giving back like never before! These are great products that “gifts that give back” super holiday gift the catalog is located Here
This program is benefits Haiti the artisans make the fund for the products t is distubuted and brought to you buy Macys. Check out these great products. Check out the gifts here
Glo Wubble Review We receive the Wubble X and the Glo Wubble for a sponsored review the opinions in this post are my own. Prior to receiving the Wubble balls, I have tried one out at the KidzVuz Holiday event. My daughter really likes playing with it so I could not wait for us to try it out at home.
Wubble X Review
The 1st one we tried was the helium Wubble X. The Wubble is the size of a kick ball. It was easy to fill as you can see from the video. The helium was fun it float up quickly when we used the entire can. My daughter age 10 loved it my son age 14 kept fetching it off the ceiling for her. I would recommend add the patch after to fill it right away. The Helium does leak out but it was a fun ball to play with. You can buy refills of air for the Wubble X. We had a lot of discussion about helium leaving the atmosphere and helium related topics. Who new a wobble could inspire such a long discussion on science because of a toy?
Here is the video:
Glow Wubble Review
The Glow Wubble which is a 3 foot Glow in the Dark Ball was the kids favorite because of the size. My 14 6’1″ son would not stop playing with it. The large a kid is they are the more they play. The Glow Wubble was easily to fill in a few minutes with the battery pump that was included in the box with the Glo Wubble (the 4 d batteries were not included). It is very durable in my experience. While at the KidzVuzs event in NY I saw a boy laying on it for about 10 minutes and it did not pop. It was not over inflated either while he was laying on it. I don’t recommend sharp object near it.
I also like the fact when Glo Wubble looses air you can reflate it with the Pump they provided. It does pick up dog hair but when it deflates you can wash it off. Does it Glow? Yes it does glow Blue you have to let it charge like any glow in the dark product.
Ok the picture below was taken 10:30 at night after my teen would not go to bed because he kept playing with the GloWubble. He would checking to see if it was glowing and saying he was watching it for his sister. I got about 3 good night hugs from him – while he was avoiding sleep just to play with the GloWubble. If you have a bunch of teens in the house you might want to get a few and see what happens. They could have a wubble fight instead of a pillow fight.
I think both Wubble would make a great gift for a child this holiday season. I was more than happy to review them. I can wait to share them with our nieces and nephews.
**I received a free product to review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC Regulations.
My heart breaks for Paris and Beirut. When think of Paris I am reminded of a city that is kind and patient to foreigners which has been my experience. I hope and wish love, peace, for safety for all in Paris and Beirut.
Kindness and understand can change the world
This weekend was fun, I went to NYC for a the KidzVuz Holiday event which is a toy and product showcase for bloggers. Due to the events in Paris I was nervous about taking the train and going to Time Square with my daughter. I love taking my daughter every year to this event. This year I decided to live by my mantra Never Live Scared so my daughter and I went to NYC. After 911, I flew 11 days after on 9/22 with my family. The point of a terrorist is to instill terror, I have to live and not give into the terror. I feel it is important to share persistence and love of life with my children.
My daughter understood what happened in Paris, because she was watching the TV with me when the reports came on. When we on the train she showed me her earrings she told me it was in support of the victims. I thought how thoughtful even a 10 year old can understand the impact.
More on my trip- I love eating when in NYC because even the inexpensive restaurants are good, make sure you order the fresh cooked food. The reason is because it is really hard to get a restaurant to survive in New York City with so much competition and the ablity for people to leave reviews if your food is bad you are gone. My daughter and I stop by a little deli she had a BLT and I had a Gyro both were fresh sandwiches with fries and the cost with 2 drinks $18.00. What a great deal.
I also made Pulled Pork Mac n’ Cheese this past weekend will Pulled Pork on top. I had a small pork roast 1.7 lb too small to make a fresh roast and I did not feel like cutting it into chops stuck it frozen in the slow cooker for a few hours with a can of broth, shredded it and tossed in BBQ sauce. I also had left over Pasta from a dinner during the week. I made a cheese sauce mixed the pasta, I had some small pie trays baked the mac n’ cheese for 30 min. I add the pork and more cheese on top broiled till golden. Yummy, it was an unplanned meal I would do again.
Menu Planning
Those week my my son starts swim team which means he will be exhausted and hungry. He gets to swim 3 hours a day for high school swim team exhausting right.. I don’t think I could do one lap. The meal plan this week must be hardy.
A few weeks ago I wrote about LaBrea campaign for ThanksgivingHeros. I wanted to share about my Thanksgiving Hero with you Nurse Deb. 10 years ago, when I was in the hospital for over a month I met Nurse Deb . I was put in the hospital aka “pregnancy jail” after my doctors determined that I was unable to control my blood pressure on my own = hospital bed rest. I was taken for a weekend, which turned into a 35 days prior to giving birth to my daughter.
This time was hard since we were 2+ hour drive from our closest family. I had very few visitors in the hospital besides my husband and 4 year old son who came a few times a week after work. Needless to say I am social person and there is only so much Judging Amy reruns you can watch on a 13 channel hospital TV system. It was a very lonely time looking at those 4 beige walls.
In enters Nurse Deb, yes I remember her name (because it is the same as my sisters) and she was the most joy filled person I met during my stay. Nurse Deb has a very happy chill vibe – a cross between Phoebe from Friends and Joy from Disney’s “insideout”. This personality is not the norm if you spent any long-term stay in a hospital adult floor, all the “perky” people work on the pediatric floor. Since, I was alone Deb would spend time talking asking about what I was knitting, about my son, or just life stuff, she took a real interest. It was the human connection I was so much in need of I remember being grateful for her visits. She made the poking at prodding more palatable.
I basically sat around as a human incubator for months, every time Deb came to check on me she was patient and not rushed. After my daughter was born, I bumped into Deb in the hospital halls. My daughter was in the NICU for 2 months, Deb again taking an interest asking a ton of questions. I remember Deb saying was very happy to see me alive after the difficult delivery. After just giving birth to a 2.8lb baby and feeling like a failure for not making term-mom guilt. She was the 1st person who made me realize what a gift it was to be alive and everything was going to be OK.
Flash forward 8 years. I am sitting in my moms group meeting and this bubbly mom of 4, nurse walks in. Her husband Rick, is a police officer. The more I talk to her I realize this smiling engaging women is my warden and savior from the pregnancy jail. Over the last few years, I have grown to know her family Deb’s husband and 4 active boys. They don’t always have an easy road with both of them being in public service but they are very happy. Deb works extra during the year and doubles up so she can be with the boys. During the summer Deb and her family spend time exploring the US and bonding. Compassion, Hope, and Love is at the core of Deb’s Family.
When I asked Debbie about her holidays, she told me it has been years since her family has spend a Thanksgiving together. This year she working the day shift on Thanksgiving. I would love for Deb and Rick to have a special memory thanking them for their service. In my experience, Deb did not have to provide a warm smile and sit with me in the hospital but she did because she is true hero.
Do you have someone you would like to Nominate to be a Thanksgiving Hero? La Brea Bakery is looking for 5 people who serve on Thanksgiving? It can be Hospital workers, Police, Fireman, Food Service workers, hotel employees, transit worker, or any service providers who works to make the day for everyone else safe and comfortable. La Brea Bakery will deliver fully catered meals to 5 finalists across the nation on Thanksgiving. Submissions close Nov 15th 2015. Sounds like a great opportunity to share with your Thanksgiving Hero. Do you know someone? To learn more read further, check out here, and watch the video.
La Brea Bakery is the leading artisan bread in the United States, and is sold in 7,000-7,500 accounts (retail outlets and chains) nationwide. Learn more about La Brea Bakery.
How to enter your Thanksgiving Hero?
CONTEST ENTRY INSTRUCTIONS: To submit an entry click the “Thanksgiving Heroes” tab to create your form submission by including: your first and last name; zip code; email address; an essay of 100 words or less telling about your family member that you will be unable to share Thanksgiving dinner with and submit at least one photograph showing both you and your family member that you will be unable to share Thanksgiving dinner with. Submissions must be received by November 15th 2015. Finalists will be announced November 17th 2015, after which the public will have a chance to vote for their favorites through November 20th 2015.
Verizon Gizmo Gadget Review : I was recently at a Verizon event. During event they provided me a Gizmo Gadget for review. This week it has been fun getting to know how to use the Gizmo Gadget Watch Phone. The Gizmo is geared for kids who are not ready for a smart phone but still need to communicate with Parents, Caregivers, and Friends. The control of the phone is in the Caregiver’s (parents) hands, everything has to be set up in the Gizmo App downloaded from the iTunes or Goggle Play store. It also allows the parents to have access to child’s whereabouts and activity levels. I think of Gizmo Gadget as closed system determined by the Caregiver’s safety choices when setting up the phone/watch.
The Gizmo Gadget is the latest product offering to the Gizmo Line of kids phone watches. The pre-existing Gizmo Pal is geared toward a younger child because has less features. The Gizmo Gadget is for a older child preteen. The Gizmo line was created by LG for Verizon.
The purpose of the Gizmo Gadget is a Communication device: phone, predetermined text to caregiver, voice mails (send/receiving), a gps tracker, activity tracker, and to do list. The gizmo gadget does offer the ability to track jumping jacks, steps taken, compass, different watch faces, and some emoji’s to caregivers. Reporting status of child to caregivers. The watch can also be placed Quite Mode settings (up to 10 different times) by a caregiver can shut down at bedtime, school time. The Gizmo Gadget really does not have games.
Gizmo Gadget Review
Here is the break down of the Gizmo Gadget’s features we have found:
Gizmo Gadget Contacts Features:
The Gizmo Gadget watch/phone only has ablity to add 14 contact (3 caregivers and 11 others)
All contacts are entered by caregiver the child does not have the ablity to set up contacts.
The Gizmo Gadget itself identifies contacts by title (Mom,Dad, Aunt,Friend, Neighbor) not by name of contact for security reasons.
The Gizmo Gadget does not take phone calls from unknown numbers (meaning if the number is not in “contacts” it can’t be answer by child)
Gizmo Gadget Phone:
Phone calls can only be made to people on contact list
Phone messages can be left for anyone on contact list
The Gizmo has no way for the child to call someone not on the contact list (no keypad)
It rings they can pick it up or you can set the phone “Auto Answer” to pick up after automatic after 10 rings.
if you have 2 gizmos and they can call each other as long as they are set up as a contacts on each others phone (because both gizmos have phone numbers).
Gizmo Gadget Text Features:
The Gizmo comes with many preset/predetermined texted – the caregivers have the ablity to add a more texts
Predetermined texts only can be sent to caregivers (aka mom,dad,one other)
The Texts are set via the Gizmo App in caregivers phone not caregivers normal texting app (you do get a notification from app that a text was received from child)
No Texts outside of caregivers receiving or sending
Caregivers can write anything in a text to child characters are limited 30 characters- so longer texts are broken up
Child can leave a voice/record text message for the caregivers
Gizmo Gadget Voice Messages:
Child can leave voice mails for anyone in contact
Child can get voice mails from Caregivers
Gizmo Gadget Web access:
THE GIZMO HAS NONE
They cant get on the web with the Gizmo Gadget because it is only a phone partial texting device.
Again: No Web Access from Gizmo Gadget
Gizmo Gadget Camera:
THE GIZMO HAS IS NONE
No need to worry about picture or images being shared
Your child can’t take them since there is none
Gizmo Gadget GPS Tracking:
The Gizmo Gadget app a GPS tracker of you child, from the app on the parents phone you can see where the Gizmo is at all times
The Gizmo App on caregiver’s phone (GPS)will also via google maps be able to tell you what route to take get to child
The Gizmos has a compass feature on the child’s gizmo phone (no maps on kids phone)
Gizmo Gadget Activity tracking:
Step counter tracker
Jump-jack counter
Gizmo App reports to caregiver every night activity for the day how many steps they took over the day
Other Gizmo Gadget Features:
The phone does not state your child’s name on the device (this is for safety reasons)
Ability to set up a Quite Mode (up to 10 different time periods) for example when the child is in school, bedtime, homework, church time, activity time) The device will not make a sound (no ring or funny sounds) but the call will show up on the screen
Ability to turn off the Gizmo Gadget from the caregiver’s Gizmo App on phone.
Ability to track battery life of Gizmo Gadget from caregiver’s Gizmo app (if you had a kid with a dead phone you know this is important) According to Verizon it last 9 days
The app tells you everything your child does on the phone (from location to changing ring tone and more)
Gizmo Gadget Fun stuff:
Kids can use moving emojis when send messages to caregivers
Kids can play with different voices when recording voice message to text to caregivers
Funny sound maker
It has a compass
The watch screen / ring tone can be changed by child from gizmo watch phone (7 to choose from one of the faces is Analog) (other options are princess, tron, digital more)
ToDo list great for reminding kids of tasks (set up in caregivers Gizmo App)
The Gadget is offered in 2 colors Red and Blue you can purchase another band to swap out the watch they have other colors (teal, pink, red,blue)
Child can easily check in using a side swipe check in feature from gizmo
You can’t get Text through your phones text messages alerts (because it is a closed alert system)- only through the gizmo app. Be sure to allow “push /Notification” from the gizmo app on your phone.
To add the picture- click on the child Icon “circle” thing and a pop up will ask were you want to add the picture from your gallery or take a photo or choose an Icon. To add child’s name click on “child” and a pop up will allowing you to change child’s name.
I recommend the Gizmo Gadget for a kid ages 8-12 (up to end of 6th grade) as an entry level kid’s phone, prior to a smart phone.
Video Review of the Gizmo Gadget
The cost is $149 with a 2 year contract (dbl check) You can add a line to your account. (Also I think you can use it with a different provider but don’t quote/hold me on that dbl check because since Verizon is my cell phone provider not an issue for us as a family ).
Final Thoughts on the Gizmo Gadget is a great product for a parent who does not want to give there child full access to the adult products. (aka the web and ablity to call text anyone) I love this product for where my daughter is at in her development. For me, she should not have access to everything on the internet yet. I love the fact the Gizmo Gadget has the safe guards built in. I know that when she moves into middle school in 7th grade, I will need to get her a smarter phone at the right time for us as a family. The Verizon Gizmo Gadget has the perfect amount of “smart” for this point in her journey as a child.
Disclosure: I was provided a nice meal and a gift bag that included the Gizmo from Verizon for attending the event. The thoughts and opinions are my own.
